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Five reasons why expats give up on the dream
| Published: | 14 Jul at 6 PM |
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Retiring to a dream destination overseas with great weather, good healthcare facilities and a delightfully low cost of living is a tempting option after years of corporate loyalty, but many less than wealthy migrants find deal-breakers dragging them back home.
Knowing yourself and what you can live with or live without is essential for a successful retirement overseas, and introspection is the best tool as regards preparation for that life-changing move abroad. Successful integration depends on knowing your chosen relocation hotspot before you make the move.
Trying before you buy by spending time in your dream destination before you burn your bridges is the best way forward. Self-profiling helps you decide whether the dream may turn into your worst nightmare, sending you back home considerably poorer than when you left.
The worst mistake is expecting your new host country to be like your home country, but cheaper. Nothing could be further from the truth, but many new immigrants eventually find the differences too much to bear.
Language, cultures, infrastructures, products, services and, importantly, religion and politics can drive new arrivals from the USA or UK to desperation. Hiding in expat enclaves isn’t the solution, as you’ll never get to appreciate the difference and diversity of your new country.
Forgetting to factor in start-up costs is another pitfall. Visa costs, rental deposits, condo purchases, the cost of shipping prized possessions halfway around the world and electrical goods replacements due to different voltages all eat into emergency funds.
Heathcare may be great in your chosen destination, but great isn’t necessarily cheap, making health insurance a priority. If you migrated to avoid miserable, cold winters, you’ll have problems adjusting to sweaty, tropical rainy seasons and the bugs which accompany them.
Finally, culture shock happens to everyone who leaves the home country’s comfort zone as, inevitably, humans with completely different upbringings have different ways of dealing with life. Learning to deal with the differences is the key to a successful retirement overseas.
Knowing yourself and what you can live with or live without is essential for a successful retirement overseas, and introspection is the best tool as regards preparation for that life-changing move abroad. Successful integration depends on knowing your chosen relocation hotspot before you make the move.
Trying before you buy by spending time in your dream destination before you burn your bridges is the best way forward. Self-profiling helps you decide whether the dream may turn into your worst nightmare, sending you back home considerably poorer than when you left.
The worst mistake is expecting your new host country to be like your home country, but cheaper. Nothing could be further from the truth, but many new immigrants eventually find the differences too much to bear.
Language, cultures, infrastructures, products, services and, importantly, religion and politics can drive new arrivals from the USA or UK to desperation. Hiding in expat enclaves isn’t the solution, as you’ll never get to appreciate the difference and diversity of your new country.
Forgetting to factor in start-up costs is another pitfall. Visa costs, rental deposits, condo purchases, the cost of shipping prized possessions halfway around the world and electrical goods replacements due to different voltages all eat into emergency funds.
Heathcare may be great in your chosen destination, but great isn’t necessarily cheap, making health insurance a priority. If you migrated to avoid miserable, cold winters, you’ll have problems adjusting to sweaty, tropical rainy seasons and the bugs which accompany them.
Finally, culture shock happens to everyone who leaves the home country’s comfort zone as, inevitably, humans with completely different upbringings have different ways of dealing with life. Learning to deal with the differences is the key to a successful retirement overseas.
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